The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 12, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1997
Mitsugu Hanada, Shimonoseki, JP;
Akihiko Shoge, Shimonoseki, JP;
Shimano, Inc., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A bicycle transmission includes a hub axle, a drive member rotatably mounted around the hub axle, a hub body rotatably mounted around the hub axle, and a planetary gear mechanism coupled between the drive member and the hub body for communicating rotational force from the drive member to the hub body through multiple rotational force transmission paths. The planetary gear mechanism includes a planet gear supported by a planet gear rack for rotation around the hub axle, and a ring gear engaging the planet gear. The ring gear includes a transmission pawl that can be displaced between a first position for transmitting rotational motion between the ring gear and the hub body and a second position for inhibiting the transmission of rotational motion between the ring gear and the hub body. A clutch is mounted around the hub axle, wherein the clutch is movable in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the hub axle for selecting a rotational force transmission path through the planetary gear mechanism and for selectively operating the transmission pawl. The clutch includes a first clutch member and a second clutch member capable of movement relative to each other in the direction of the axis of the hub axle. The first clutch member and the second clutch member move relative to each other in the direction of the axis of the hub axle when the drive member rotates in a first rotational direction for causing the transmission pawl to be in the first position for transmitting rotational motion between the ring gear and the hub body.